Tin Decorating Company Plant
| Tin Decorating Company Plant | |
|---|---|
| |
| Site Information | |
| Address | 2809 Boston St |
| Geo-reference | 39°16′41″N 76°34′34″W / 39.27816°N 76.5762°W |
| Building Data | |
| Building Type | Commercial |
| Design | |
| Architect | Theodore Wells Pietsch |
| Construction | |
| Completed | 1914 |
On April 30, 1913, The American Architect announced, “Plans have been prepared by architect Theodore Wells Pietsch…for proposed plant of the Tin Decorating Company, to be erected on Boston St., opposite Strieper St. [sic] Cost $125,000.” When the Tin Decorating Company, or “Tindeco” as it became known, opened its doors in June 1914, they were among the most prosperous tin decorating plants in the world. According to one historian, Kristen Helberg, the plant produced four million tins a day. They made tins for the American Tobacco Company. They also made Bayer Aspirin tins, Sucret boxes, Anacin and Excedrin tins, Midol tins, Sterno cans, beer trays, as well as saucers, cups, and canisters for the famous Decoware line, the lithography of which had been designed by Freida Diamond, who pioneered the vibrant graphics commonplace now in our world of mass production. Over the course of time, the plant saw various owners. In 1935, the Tin Decorating Company sold to the Owens-Illinois Glass Company. Then in 1944, the Owens-Illinois Glass Company sold to the Continental Can Company, which was the final phase of industry here. The plant closed in 1965 and was converted into 240 waterfront apartments in 1986. The building stands today, serving as a reminder of an evolving urban landscape.
